Submission Guidelines

With 1,000 books in print and growing, the list of books we publish is wide-ranging, diverse, and distinguished. As an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) publisher distributed by Penguin Random House, we enjoy the best of both worlds: complete editorial independence and an unparalleled distribution network. If you would like North Atlantic Books to consider your work, please first familiarize yourself with our mission statement and our publications.

Visit our online bookstore for an idea of the kinds of books we currently publish: strong categories include bodywork and somatics, ecology and sustainability, food and nutrition, health and healing, indigenous cultures and anthropology, the arts, metaphysics, psychology and personal growth, society and politics, and spirituality and religion. We also offer an imprint dedicated to the martial arts: Blue Snake Books.

If you believe your work would be appropriate for North Atlantic Books, please send us a proposal, including a cover letter introducing yourself, together with a brief description of your project, a table of contents, notes on the market you are trying to reach, at least three sample chapters, and a stamped self-addressed envelope if you would like us to return these materials to you. Please don’t send us original artwork or irreplaceable documents; we cannot assume responsibility for these.

We will do our best to respond to your proposal within twelve weeks of receiving it. North Atlantic Books does not accept phone calls, faxes, or other inquiries regarding unsolicited submissions.

Please note that we are not accepting submissions for new fiction or poetry at this time, and we cannot review submissions of this type. Please also note that while some of our publications are trade books with an additional scholarly market, we are not currently accepting submissions for purely academic books.

Guidelines for Agents

Proposal Guidelines

Below are some prompts for a successful proposal. The proposal should include as many of the following elements as possible:

Table of contents with subheads listed; a chapter summary or synopsis is a plus.

Sample chapters (at least three).

If you plan to include photographs or illustrations in your book, please provide examples and let us know how many you intend to use.

What is the word count of your manuscript? Is the manuscript complete? If not, what is your goal completion date?

A short statement (less than 100 words) describing the book’s intention.

Your qualifications in this area: education, books or articles; what makes you a leader in this field? Tell us what your platform is. What do you do to make your work well known? Where have you connected with the readership of this book previously?

A marketing plan describing how you will reach your book’s potential audience: interviews, journals, magazines, social media channels, etc. Who is the book for? List the most important publications that could excerpt or review your book. How will you help promote your book? What plans do you have to travel, to speak, to teach? What organizations are you counting on for their support?

Comparative or competitive titles: what are the three leading books to which your book could be compared? How does your book differ from them?

List a few suggestions for foreword writers and people who will contribute endorsements and reviews. These should be people whom you know and who can help speak for your book.

Why are you interested in publishing with North Atlantic Books?

Children’s Book Submissions

We are currently accepting submissions for picture books for ages 0-8. We are considering picture books only. We will not consider middle grade, early readers, YA, or novels.

Our aim is to publish children’s books that fall within our existing subject areas, books that express a holistic view of ourselves and all that surrounds us. We are especially interested in seeing books featuring green living (recycling, composting, gardening), nature, mindfulness, yoga, dance and movement, art, unconventional families, and underrepresented populations and issues.

Please include a short statement describing the book’s intention (with target age range), a short bio, and the full manuscript as an attached Word doc. Tell us why you feel North Atlantic Books is the right fit for your book. Include comparative or competitive titles (what are the three leading books to which your book could be compared? How does your book differ from them?) and the word count of the manuscript. Please familiarize yourself with current industry guidelines on picture book length. This blog post is an excellent resource for determining appropriate word counts for all levels of children’s books.

We will consider rhyming manuscripts but please make sure that your rhyme and meter are impeccable before submitting.

Author/illustrators and Author/illustrator teams: In addition to the full manuscript, please include at least three sample spreads.

Authors who are not illustrators: there is no need to find or suggest an illustrator for your work. In most cases publishers select an appropriate illustrator.

Who We Are

Find out more about North Atlantic Books, Sacred Activism, Blue Snake Books, and Evolver Editions!